Friday, October 14, 2011

The Rage to Overcome

As promised in my last post, I have two battle reports here for you from two practice games I had during the week in preparation for the coming Conclave II. One was against James Carey's Chaos Space Marines and the other against Luke Osbourne's Grey Knights.

So for game 1 Wednesday night I faced James Carey's Chaos Space Marines. I was confident going into the game as Chaos really don't match up well against Grey Knights. Furthermore we rolled Spearhead deployment Capture and Control, a set-up ht suits my army quite nicely. James' list is below.

My main concern here was the mass of Terminators, however this was partially calmed when one of the Henchmen units (the smaller one) rolled extra 12" from the Jokaero's upgrade (though the other unit got nothing, despite rolling a 6 first). I won the roll off and deployed in the corner with the most terrain. There was a large Shrine of the Aquila on the other side of the board from the one I wanted and had I picked the other corner James would have been able to use that to advance with very little fire on him.

I deployed vehicles in pairs with a supporting Dread so as to give cover to each other. James deployed everything, choosing not to Deep Strike over Warp Quake. He layered up the Terminators and Obliterators, putting most one behind the other so as to provide cover to all but the Tzeentch guys (who didn't need it). The rest of the army went in or behind the Shrine. My Vindicare deployed in a forest where he could get clear shots into the Shrine. James tried to seize but failed.

Turn 1

My only movement was redeployment of vehicles of popping of some smoke to give most of my mech cover saves. I made a bunch of shots but only managed to kill an Obliterator, and Stun, Weapon Destroy, and Immobolise the Nurgle Rhino.

Most of James' army advanced, with two units of Oblits, the Terminators and the Daemon Prince swinging up the left flank with the Slannesh Rhino encased in among them. The Plague Marines got out and made some good terrain and run rolls to get up one level of the Shrine while the lone Obliterator up there moved forward.

The Thousand Sons made a beeline east, disembarking and shooting the crap out of the Vindicare. He survived the Bolters but the Bolt of Change burned him alive. The Tzeentch Terminator unloaded their Combi-Plasma into the lead Razorback but only Shook it.

Turn 2

I made even less movements than last time, pulling the same tricks to provide cover for most of my vehicles. The lead Razorback had an amusing moment casting Fortitude to get rid of its Shaken result, and though it passed, it rolled snake eyes for the pass, getting Immobolised by the Perils glance.

Shooting was not much better this turn, with the Nurgle Rhino getting wrecked, the lone Obliterator getting smoked, and a Tzeentch Terminator getting flattened.

The Chaos forces continued their advance, with the western forces moving onward, while the Plague Marines climbed to the top of the Shrine and the Thousand Sons embarked again and went on the move.

A failed Bolt of Change attempt at my Rhino started the shooting phase. Though one unit of Oblits just couldn't hurt the Immobolised Razorback, the other managed to wreck a Dread.

Turn 3

I went on the offensive this turn, determined to get the Terminators into some deep trouble, while also sending a force out toward the Chaos objective. A Strike Squad also debussed to help out.

Shooting was impressive with everything near my objective (bar the Dread) shooting at the Tzeentch Terminators and wiping them out (Meltas are awesome). Meanwhile the Dread took out another Oblit while the advancing forces failed to do damage to the Tzeentch Rhino.

With the Tzeentch Terminators taken out I was happy to give something back in order to get the Slaanesh Terminators in alone against my home forces. They and the Daemon Prince came in toward my Strikes and Henchmen, while the Marines and Oblits moved in mid-table. The Thousand Sons swung in by my advance force, hoping to blow me away after an Oblit took out a transport.

However this didn't happen and Bolt of Change even failed. The two man Oblit unit managed to pop the Chimera (the Henchmen passed their test) while the Slaanesh Terminators charged and shredded the Razorback. The Plague Marines however killed two Strikes.

Turn 4

I swung a Razorback far north to try going around the Shrine to the objective (didn't want to get in Melta range of the Oblits). The Purifiers disembarked and prepared for the charge while the Chimera moved up and the guys inside blew up the Chimera, killing a Purifier and two Thousand Sons in the blast. The hurt Strike Squad moved into the ruins next to the objective to stay safen while their ride repositoned.

Down south, the Henchmen claimed into the wreck of the Razorback while the Strikes circled around the Terminators. Both units opened up and the combination of Meltas and S5 fire brought the unit to one man, who was killed in assault. The Dreads tried at Oblits but only one died. The Purifiers charged the Thousand Sons, and despite getting double Hammerhand (which I realise now was an unnecessary risk thanks to the Rad Grenades) only killed 3 of them, while 2 Purifiers fell in return.

The Slaanesh Rhino came over the crashed Aquila Lander in the centre of the board and debussed its guys, while the Daemon Prince came down south, ready for the kill. Note he hadn't been doing nothing this whole time, just Reinforced Aegis was ensuring his Bolts did nothing. The Oblits continued a steady advance.

The Oblits fried Multi-Meltas at the advancing Razorback but to no avail, however this was evened out when the Marines took out an entire Strike Squad in one round of shooting. The Prince attacked the Henchmen and easily wiped them out. In the ongoing combat two more Purifiers were killed for only one Thousand Son in return, with the Inquisitor taking a wound from Fearless saves.

Turn 5

I debussed Coteaz and friends and moved them toward the Daemon Prince. The Dread nearby moved toward the Marines, since without a Fist he could reliably tie them up for awhile and stop them taking or contesting my objective. The Razorback continued on north while the Rhino moved up to pick up the Purifiers should they survive.

The Dread fired at the Marines and killed one only somehow. The other fired at the Oblits but failed to hurt any. The Purifiers shot everything at the Daemon Prince and managed a wound. The assault was moved effective, however despite Psyk-Out Grenades, the Prince held on with one wound from the Halberd attacks and got to strike simultaineously with the Hammer and Coteaz killing 3 Purifiers as Coteaz bashed his skull in. The Dread faired well also against the Marines, killing one for no damage in return. The last Purifiers cut down one Thousand Son before the Sorcerer killed him, leaving the Inquisitor alone in combat though she held on.

(Note I forgot to fire my Meltas at the Obliterator this turn, which is why it seems like the Chimera randomly advanced).

It was crunch time and the Rhino rammed my Razorback unsccessfully. The Oblits advanced and failed to damage the Chimera. The Plague Marines seemed to make a mistake here, maybe thinking the game was likely to go on and moved down to the bottom and toward the Razorback, firing at it and only losing a guy to Plasma, leaving the objective empty (though it had been for the whole game).

The last thing that happened in the game (it ended this turn) was the Inquisitor got pissed off and killed the last two Thousand Sons, surviving their simultaineous return attacks. The bitch was back!

Conclusions

That was a good game, however it was one-sided from the start to a degree to be fair; Grey Knights are not a good match-up for Chaos. James' mistake won me the game, however it was a gamble on the 66% chance that the game would end. It is the common crux of many 40k players though to forget the mission in the heat of blowing shit up.

That game gave me a 17-3 win that I was happy with. The list performed very well I thought though I didn't get to try a few things out (Warp Quake and Servo-Skulls namely). I knew learning the right time and place to debuss Strikes was something I had to learn, however this game didn't call for it much.

So with that done it was on to Thursday and my game with Luke Osbourne and his Heretical Space Wolf Wannabe Grey Knights (Grey Knights made from Space Wolf models). Luke ran a similar list to my own with the same sort of thing going on.

It was an intimidating list, so combined with the fact that we rolled Seize Ground (5) Pitched Battle, I was overly relieved to roll highest for both deployment and objectives. I placed my three with two in the south-west corner and the other out of the west flank, so Luke placed him dead center and in the ruins in the north-east.

I bunkered up near my objectives, planning to simply try holding the 3 I had near me while sending a small distraction force out toward his. With any luck I could hold them long enough to win (note I have never won Seize Ground before except once - against Luke ). I kept the vehicle pairing idea from the last game with supporting Dreads, sending a Rhino and Razorback with their respective squads out toward the east to put pressure on Luke's home objective (and the center). I placed my Skulls out in such a way that his Vindicare couldn't Infiltrate in any terrain that would also put him in range of my mech. Luke deployed in the opposite, afraid that by spliting his forces to hold both the home objective and go for mine that my first turn fire would be too devastating on him. He also held his Interceptors in reserve and chose to deploy the Vindicare as normal behind his Dreads (out of LOS though in the open).

Luke debussed some Henchmen and ran them behind a wall in range of his objective and then he advanced everything in a parking lot like fashion to provide cover. Combined Assault Cannon and Heavy Bolter fire killed my Vindicare who I had Infiltrated not far out of my deployment zone. He also managed to drop a Dread with the Vindicare, shake another with his Dread, and use his other to pop a Rhino.

The Dread passed his Fortitude test. The now debussed Coteaz and friends ran behind the hill (it was quite large and blocked LOS to infantry easily enough). The central Dread moved back west to claim the place of the fallen one. A Strike Squad debussed and moved up the ruins to claim one of my objectives. Nearby a Razorback moved for both cover and firing lanes.

I managed to run a pretty successful turn of shooting, Immobolising a Rhino and a Psyfleman and dropping the gun from a Psyback. I also managed to blow up the Assman Dread.

Turn 2

Luke's Interceptors came on, and fearing the amount of firepower I could bring to bear on them this early on, deployed behind his army near his objective and advanced with them as they continued. He failed to match the previous turns round of shooting, only knocking the weapon from a Razorback and Dread, and Shaking the latter.

With its weapon gone the eastern most Razorback let it guys debus into the ruins before hiding behind them itself. The Dread lined up to Luke's lead Dread and that was all.

The Dread started calling it and blowing up Luke's lead Dread. The recently debussed Strikes managed to Immobolise the second Rhinos, messing up the eastern advance, while last turn's debussed Strikes Immobolised an Assback. Coteaz and friends shot at the damaged Razorback and wrecked it, pinning the Acolytes that came out. The two Joks also managed to destroy the Assault Cannon on the other Assback. All in all an excellent turn of shooting, shutting down a lot of Luke's mobility.

Turn 3

With Immobolised vehicles now blocking his LOS the Vindicare hoped in the empty Pysback and it moved. All of the Purifiers debussed and the Interceptors moved up to meet them.

The Dread opened up on my western Dread and destroyed it, while the Purifiers and Interceptors combined with the Chimera to wipe out both the Strike Squad and their Razorback.

I decided to start toward the western objective now that the Dreads were mostly cleared out, and so sent a unit of Purifiers in their Rhino (with the OXI) toward it to try and keep it safe so as not to risk a scoring unit so early. The last of the Strikes debussed into the ruins as their ride switcheroo'ed with the other Pysback for cover and shots. Meanwhile the Dread, Coteaz and friends all moved back westward to get away from the easts heavy enemy presence (and dakka).

I did a bunch of shooting but managed a very miserable turn, only getting rid of the last Assault Cannon.

Turn 4

With most of the central vehicles either Immobolised or stuck because of Immobolised vehicles, everything debussed and moved toward the terrain. The Purifiers and Interceptors joined them while the Henchmen debussed and ran in too so as to give the ther Purifiers their ride (which advanced with the Chimera). Hoping to stay in the game the Dread moved back so the Joks could no longer draw a bead to it. The Vindicare got back out now that firing lanes had once again opened up (or were about to).

The Henchmen who were pinned last turn moved and shot at the Purifiers, killing none, however combined fire from the Strikes killed two. Thankfully everything else either failed in the same attempt or failed against my Dread.

With the enemy so close the Razorback swung around the ruins and Cotez and friends got in to safety, popping smoke. The other Razorback and Dread moved for firing spots. The Rhino moved further into the objective while the Chimera started to move out cautiously.

The Psyback managed to draw a bead at the Chimera's side armour, and even with cover, managed to Shake it, blow off its Multi-Laser, and Immobolise it, basically taking the Servitors out of the game. The Dread has similar luck, knocking both arms off the enemy Dread, effectively neutralising him. The only other shooting casualties were one of the Henchmen squads.

Turn 5

It was now crunch time and Luke found himself in a bit of a pickle; as he explained it, he couldn't yet shunt with the Interceptors as no matter which of my objectives they went for, they would be killed in my subsequent turn from mass shooting and possibly multi-charges, so he needed to try wipe out or whittle down some of my holding troops in this turn and hope the game goes on.

So the Strikes both moved in on the objective along with the Purifiers, Coteaz, and a Henchmen squad. The Interceptors then jumped into the space between the wreck and the Immobolised parking lot. His Dread moved to try and contest to western objective next turn (if there was one).

The Vindicare started, unable to see the Dread or Coteaz' Rhino, he settled for the OXI's Rhino and blew it up spectactularly despite cover. One Purifier died in the blast. Everything else was unloaded into Coteaz' Razorback, and since it was only wrecked and not blown up, the Strike Squad on the balcony, with a single Striker survivng and passing his test.

I moved the Chimera up now to claim the objective with the Dread and Interceptors my targets for this (hopefully last) turn. The lone Strike moved into hiding while the larger squad in the ruins took his place, and Coteaz and friends took theirs. The other Razorback then moved back home.

Shooting was apt in that I managed to clean up some points, destroying the Dread and an Assback, killing half of the Interceptors, and killing one of the Henchmen causing them to flee.

With that we rolled and the game ended, 3-2 to the Grey Knights (the real ones ).

Conclusions

That was a fun and tough game. I got off to a bad start however I clawed it back efficiently with the plan working pretty much to a tee. List wise I am loving it. I know the Henchmen did little that game, however with how little they cost, their potential, and the fact that it is to be expected, I am ok with that; some games they just will be a scoring crappy Lascannon battery. I am particularly loving the S5 fire, as it puts on extra pressure and it helped me open up a good few things in that game; indeed some glances on AV11 from Storm Psybolters turned the tied in a few rounds.

I am pleased that I finally won a 5 objective mission as it is my weakest mission without a doubt (or at least was; this list handles it better than my old list(s)). I have noticed also that the list is easy to learn to use, and the feel is one of good synergy, so I am happy with that two.

That game was a 15-5. So with two wins so far with the list I am set and ready for Conclave on Saturday. Wish us luck.